Where We Work

Where does the Bureau work?

Most of the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration staff work in Washington, DC, though there are ten refugee coordinators located around the world, located at U.S. embassies in Accra, Addis Ababa, Amman, Baghdad, Bangkok, Belgrade, Bogota, Cairo, Havana, Kabul, Kampala, Kathmandu, Moscow, Nairobi, and Ndjamena. We also have employees covering relations with UN Missions in Geneva, where the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is based, and with the European Union in Brussels.

Which populations need help? Where are the Bureau’s programs?

	Afghanistan Since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, subsequent civil wars, and general insecurity, an estimated six million plus Afghans have fled the country. The vast majority sought refuge in neighboring Pakistan and Iran. Several million have returned in the last seven years, but the flow has slowed down in the past two years. More
Africa The refugee situation across the continent is complex and dynamic. Almost all African countries host refugees; many generate them as well. In a number of cases they are both host and generator. There is broad Bureau involvement across thecontinent; there is not a refugee/conflict victim humanitarian situation with which we are not involved given our mandate. More
	The Balkans The Bureau works with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), non-governmental organizations, and other international organizations to provide assistance to the 500,000 displaced persons living in the Balkans. More
The Caribbean The Bureau works with several humanitarian assistance organizations, and with other relevant Department of State and United States Government offices to provide solutions for those individuals who are in need of protection throughout the Caribbean, especially those in vulnerable situations -- such as women, children and migrants found at sea in dangerous circumstances. More
	The Caucasus The Bureau works with many organizations to provide assistance to the approximately 1,000,000 displaced persons living in the Caucasus. The Bureau's most recent funding opportunities occurred in Russia, although funding could be expanded to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in 2008. More
Colombia The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there are approximately 50,000 recognized refugees and asylum-seekers from conflicts in Colombia and in the Andean and lower Central American regions. More
	Iraq Since the Samara Mosque bombing in February, 2006, and the subsequent rise in sectarian violence, more than four million Iraqis have been displaced. More
Northeast and South Asia The Bureau programmed approximately $29.3 million in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Mongolia, Korea. More
	Palestinians The Bureau works with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to meet the basic education, health, relief, and social service needs of 4.5 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. More
Southeast Asia In fiscal year 2007 (from October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007), the Bureau supported assistance programs in Thailand, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. We also monitor refugee, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and statelessness issues throughout Southeast Asia. More